Valve seal



June 11, 1940. T. G. HARE 2,204,355

` VALVE SEAL Filed March 10, 1939 .Terence #are Patented June 11, 1940 st 2,204,355 7 VALVE saar. l Terence anne, winasr; onmlmcmm.

Application Mai-cn 1o,

somma. (omai-4s) ThisL invention relates to a valve, particularly of thetype for controllingv the now of water or other fluids such ascompressed air or steam, and the invention aims to' provide an improvedstruca-ture which affords an antifriction bearing between thecontrolling stem andthe sealing washer so that when the valve is closedthe sealing washer is not rotated on the seat. s

The principal objects of the invention are to `provide an improvedsimplified structure which can' be cheaply manufacturedV and furnishedto the trade at a low cost, and which makesuse of the standard form ofvalve structure and washer screw so that the existing washers in faucetsalready in use may be replaced by the antifriction mounting. Also. theinvention aims to provide an improved as'semblyto the end that theantifriction bearing elements andthe Vraces therefor are united in asingle assembly which canbe easily and quickly lmounted in a valve orfaucet.

Other objects will becomeapparent as the detailed description progressesand which description is directed to the forms of the devices specicallyillustrated herein.

ture showing the valve arrangement incorporatedtherein. W f

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view showing the antifrictionwasher mounting. 30

' showing a modified form. y l .s

Fig. 4 is another cross sectional view showing a further modified form.

In Fig. 1 a rather conventional faucet is illus-f .s

35 trated lat I having` a seat 2 anda controlling vvalve stem 3screw-threaded as at 4 into the body ofthe faucet and extending througha cap 5.. VYAs shown in Fig. 2, the lowerend of the stem hasv acircumferential shoulder 6 defining a groove'l, s

in which the usual. washeris placed. The conventional or usual screw isshown at B.

The antifriction structure takes the form of an upper race I preferablyof thin sheetmetaland a lower race I I, also preferably of quite thinsheet metal for the purposeof minimizing the over-all axial dimension. Acollet l2 passes centrally through the washer-like races and has aflange I3 which o verliesthe upper race. 'Ihe lower end ofthe collet ispeened over as at Il to engage the lower race. 'Ihus thecollet holds theantifriction structure in assembly, with the ball bearings i disposedbetweeny the races. The peened over portion Il may be only at spaced l55points on the collet, or may be a complete cir- Fig. 1 is a. crosssectional viewof a faucet struc-y Fig. 3 is a cross sectional viewsimilar to Fig.`2

1939,v Serial No. 260,924

, vcumferential outward flanging or peening of this 'end of the collet.y j n Preferably the upper race, as illustrated,l is curved to fit overthe'balls, as shown, and holdsv 'them in assembly, and the colletpreferably takes. 5

a slight tension on the inner edge of the upper race so that the ballsare snugly gripped. This is for the purpose oi keeping the assemblycompris-r ingthe'races, balls and4 collet in tightor snug relationshipkso that when raised fromthe seat 10 2 there will be no vibration ofthese parts caused by the flow of fluid therethrough with attendantnoises. In any event the vibration is minimized. This structure isapplied to the valve stem 3 with the usual.` screw 8 which may havetherefore 1I been usedV to hold an ordinary washer on the valve stem.The seal structure per se takes the form of a thin sheet metal cap II ofdiscform recessed so as to clear the head of `the screw and having anouter portion for abutting against the lower race. The sealing member i1in the' form shown in Fig. 2 is vulcanized `directly to the cap I6,andpithas a. thickened outer' portion as illustrated to engage the seat,while a center portion preferably extends over the central recessed partof the cap but is of quite ay thin structure. This is provided largelyvfor thepurpose of making the washery in the form of a disc to, preventfluid from`-gettingin between the ysealing member and-thefcapk plate,although the central portion may not'be'used, in which event the sealingmember will be inthe form of a ring. The cap has ngers I8 projectingfrom its periphery, which are vadapted to be bent over the peripheraledge ofthe lower race by the means of a suitable tool, and in this'waythe sealing member is held to thelower race. With this structure it willbe seen that the screw has to .be located before the washer is applied.y Infthe form; shownin Fig. 3 the valve stem 40 and antifriction bearingarrangement is substantially the same as that just described, and thesame reference characters are applied to these parts. The portion I4aisof beveled form.k In this form, however, the sealingxmember 20 is 45clamped to the cap plate 2|. Every other one of the fingers iamaybearranged to be` fash` ioned downwardly andinwardly-sofas'to' biteinto the sealing member, Ywhile the cap is preferably s formed with anoutwardly extending portion forming al shoulder 22. Thusthesealingmember A20 is inthe form of a. ring clamped to the cap plate.InFlg. 4 the stem and anti-friction bear-l ing structure is againsubstantially the same as the ones previously described, with the samereference characters applied thereto. In this form the angers IBb arepre-formed so as to snap over the peripheral edge of the race il. Also,in this form the sealing member il is like that shown in Fig. 2 and isvulcanized to the cap plate. However, the snap-on arrangement for thecap plate, as shown in Fig. 4, may be used with the clamping arrangementfor the sealing .member, as shown in Fig. 3, in which event some of thelingers. may be fashioned to provide the snap-on arrangement with thelower race, while some of the lingers may be fashioned to bite into thesealing member. Also in this form the collet and the upper race compriseone single piece of metal having a race portion lila and a colletportion I2a. This combined collet and race may be constructed to placethe balls under compression between the upper and lower races. l

When these valves are closed the sealing member comes against the seat 2and the stem rotates without relative rotation between the sealingmember and seat. 'I'his obviously prolongs the life of the sealingmember. When the valve is opened the sealing member and the elements ofthe antifriction bearing structure are all in snug relationship, due tothe slight tension of the races upon the balls, so that vibrationtendencies are eliminated, or in any event substantially minimized. Inthis connection, of course, the screw 8 is applied to the stem until thecollet is tightly engaged between the head of the screw and the end ofthe stem 3.

In some of the claims appended hereto elements are recited including thetwo race members and the collet. This is intended to cover both the formwhere the collet is a separate element and the form where the collet isintegral with one race.

I claim:

1. In a valve having a seat and a control stem mounted on threads forrotary movement toward and away from the seat, a sealing member andantifrictlon mounting therefor comprising, a race disposed adjacent theend of the stem, a second race, balls between the races, a collet havingone end associated with one race and the other end connected to theother race for holding the races and balls in assembly, a screwextending through -secured to the second race for closing the seat.

2. In a valve having a seat and a control stem mounted on threads forrotary movement toward and away from the seat, a. sealing member andantifriction mounting therefor comprising, a race disposed adjacent theend of the stem, a second race, balls between the races, a colletrotatably connecting the races and for holding the races and balls inassembly, a screw extending through the collet and threaded into thestem for clamping the collet to the stem, a sheet metal cap having arubber sealing member bonded thereto and means securing the cap to thesecond race in a position so that the cap covers the screw.

3. In a valve having a seat and a control stem mounted on threads forrotary movement toward and away from the seat, a sealing member andantifriction mounting therefor comprising, a race disposed adjacent theend of the stem, a second race, balls between the races, a collet havingone end associated with one race and the other end connected to theother race for holding the races and balls in assembly, a screwextending through the collet and threaded into the stem for clamping thecollet to the stem, a sheet metal disc, a sealing member secured to oneside thereof, means securing the disc to the second race, said dischaving a depression for clearing the head of the screw.

4. In a valve having a seat and a control stem mounted on threads forrotary movement toward and away from the seat, a sealing member andantifriction mounting therefor comprising, a rece disposed adjacent theend oi the stem, a second race. balls between the races, a collet havingone end associated with one race and the other end connected to theother race for holding the races and balls in assembly, a screwextending through the collet and threaded into the stem for clamping thecollet to the stem, a cap member in the form of a disc fitted to theunderside of the second race and having lingers for engaging theperiphery of the second race, and a sealing member secured to the cap.

5. In a valve having a seat and a control stem mounted on threads forrotary movement toward and away from the seat, a sealing member andantifriction mounting therefor comprising, a race disposed adjacent theend of the stem, a second race, balls between the races, a collet forholding the races and balls in assembly, a screw extending through thecollet and threaded into the stem for clamping the collet to the stem. asheet metal cap member having a plurality of lingers extending from itsouter edge, said cap member being fitted against the second race, someof the fingers being fashioned over'the second race member, a sealingmember on one side ofthe cap and some of the fingers being fashioned tohold the sealing member to the cap.

6. In a valve having a seat and a control stem mounted on threads forrotary movement toward and away from the seat, a sealing member andantifriction mounting therefor comprising, a race disposed adjacent theend of the stem, a second race, balls between the races, a collet forholding the races and balls in assembly, a screw extending through thecollet and threaded into the stem for clamping the collet to the stem, asheet metal cap having fingers extending from its peripheral edge andfashioned to provide spring arms which are snapped over the second race,and a sealing member secured to the cap.

7. In a valve having a seat and a control stem collet with the raceportion positioned adjacent' the end of the stem and the collet disposedaxially thereof, a second race held in position by the collet, aplurality of balls between the races, a headed screw passing throughtheA collet and threaded into the stem, a cap member secured to thesecond race and a sealing member secured to the cap member. l

8. In a valve having a seat and a control stem mounted on threads forrotary movement toward and away from the seat, an integral race andcollet with the race portion positioned adjacent the end of the stem andthe'collet disposed axially thereof, a second race held in position bythe collet, a plurality of balls between the races, a headed screwpassing through the collet and threaded into the stem,` and a sealingmember secured to the second race.

TERENCE G. HARE.

